Suzuki moved within one hit of equaling Pete Rose’s total of 4,256 - the big league record. The 42-year-old outfielder has 2,977 hits in the majors after compiling 1,278 during his nine seasons in Japan.

“It’s really cool to be a part of this and what he has done this year,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

Mattingly, however, declined to say if the left-handed-hitting Suzuki would be in the lineup Tuesday against lefty starter Drew Pomeranz.

“We’re trying to win ballgames, too,” the manager said with a smile.

The Marlins built an 8-1 cushion by the third inning and eased to their third win in five games.

Wei-Yin Chen (4-2), who had never faced the Padres, allowed four solo homers and seven hits in six innings. He struck out seven and won for just the second time in eight starts.

“Overall I think my fastball was good but my breaking ball needs to be better,” Chen said through a translator. “A couple of those pitches were in pretty good locations but they hit them hard. So I need to work on that.”

Colin Rea (3-3) was battered in the shortest start of his career, giving up eight runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings.

“It just seemed like everything I threw over the plate, they were aggressive,” Rea said. “Early in the game we were falling behind and then leaving pitches up in the zone and they took advantage of it.”

The Marlins, who scored their most runs this season, seized control with a seven-run third, sending 12 batters to the plate in chasing Rea.

The big blow was a bases-loaded triple by Hechavarria over Jon Jay’s head in center. The drive was set up when second baseman Adam Rosales botched a potential inning-ending double play by dropping Yangervis Solarte’s throw from third base. That let Justin Bour score and extended the inning.

The outburst also included Prado’s two-run shot to left, his second homer of the season.

“My teammates gave me a lot of run support,” Chen said. “They gave me so many runs; I’m happy about that.”

Matt Kemp homered in the third, drawing the Padres to 8-2. They got no closer in losing for the fourth time in five games.

Wil Myers hit his career-high 14th home run, going the opposite way to right field to tie the score at 1 in the second. Kemp followed with a one-out double but was stranded when Chen struck out Solarte and Derek Norris.

The Marlins, blanked in Sunday’s loss at Arizona, scored in the first inning.

Bour, who had three hits, beat the shift with a RBI single to left, scoring Suzuki after he reached on a leadoff walk and advanced to second on Prado’s single.

“I think Colin just kind of caught the middle of the zone a little too much,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “They’re a good club and if you make mistakes in the zone, they hurt you.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: Stanton was out of the lineup, and while he’s not completely over his recent sore right side, Mattingly said it was more of a “rest” day for the struggling Stanton and he will start on Tuesday.

Padres: RHP Andrew Cashner isn’t going to require an MRI on his sore right shoulder and neck area that put him on the disabled list Saturday. … OF Travis Jankowski left the game with a sprained right ankle.

UP NEXT

Marlins: RHP Tom Koehler (4-6, 4.36 ERA) faces the Padres for the second time in his career. Last year, Koehler beat San Diego by throwing seven scoreless innings.

Padres: Pomeranz (5-6, 2.44) seeks his eighth quality start in 13 outings when he faces Miami in the middle game of the series.